Never Trust Strangers
by Mandy of the Amoeba
Summary: CATS fanfic. I barely even remember what this is about, I wrote it so long ago. Jemima gets kidnapped, Jellicles worry. This is an overdone, basically actionless plot, and it's one of the worst pieces I've ever done.


A/N: I just felt like posting up a Cats fic tonight! First off, I want to explain something. While this is not the worst fic I've ever written, it IS the worst I've ever posted on FF.N. This was written over a year ago, and my writing skills were atrocious. Not that they're that much better now...but...oh well. This is clichéd, and plotless, and boring, and it was supposed to be mainly about Jemima, but ended up being more about Jenny and Skimble. I TRIED to include most of the cats, since I know people like fics better when their favorite character is included. You can flame this you like, but if I were you, I wouldn't waste my time...I already know how bad it is, you don't have to tell me! *laughs* I COULD have taken the time to look over this and rewrite it, but I didn't think it was worth the effort. I might get around to reworking it sometime.  
  
  
  
  
It was a beautiful summer night, the starry sky canopying over the Junkyard. Most of the younger kittens had gone to bed or were off gossiping with each other; there was no set bedtime on a night such as this. The older Jellicles sat around talking, with the exception of Bombalurina and Rum Tum Tugger, who were out partying, Gus, who had gone to bed, and Mistoffelees, who was…..well, no one really ever knew for sure where Misto was.   
  
Munkustrap leaned back against the tire, his arm around Demeter's shoulders. "On this night of a thousand stars…." he sang, grinning. Dem laughed and leaned back into his shoulder, looking up at the night sky.  
  
Jenny yawned and put down her sewing. She glanced up at Tantomile and Coricopat, sitting in identical positions atop the tire. "Sing us a song, Tanty."  
  
"Yes, dear, you have such a lovely voice, and you rarely even show it off! Sing the lullaby." Jelly encouraged, smiling.  
  
Tantomile shyly rose and began to sing in a clear, strong voice,  
  
_"Moonlight, turn your face to the moonlight  
  
Let your memory lead you  
  
Open up, enter in  
  
If you find there the meaning of what happiness is  
  
Then a new life will begin…"_  
  
She sang the verse twice, as was customary, and on the second time a young, sweet voice joined her from the top of a junkpile. Skimbleshanks smiled and put his arm around Jenny. "Our lil' Jemima certainly has a talent f'r singin', eh love?"  
  
The Gumbie smiled. "She takes after her cousins, she does." she said with a nod in Tantomile and Coricopat's direction. "Always lookin' off at the moon, thinking too many deep thoughts for such a young one. But, as long as she's happy and healthy, I've no cause to interfere."  
  
As they all sat listening to the singing, no one noticed a glistening pair of topaz eyes intently watching Jemima from the shadows.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Early the next morning, the Junkyard slowly hummed to life. Bombalurina was sitting on the tire with her sister, griping about the horrible headache she had. "I don't even remember half of what happened last night, Dem.." The red queen laughed in spite of herself. "But I'm in a lot better shape than Tugger!"  
  
Mistoffelees appeared out of thin air, right behind the two queens. Dem jumped quickly; she was always a bit paranoid. Misto grinned. "Serves Tugger right, he shouldn't go off getting 'nipped like that." The magician shook his head. He and Tugger teased each other endlessly, but they were really quite good friends underneath it all.  
  
Bomb started to reply, but was cut off by Jenny coming up to them, wringing her paws worriedly. "Has anyone seen Jemima? I can't find her anywhere!"  
  
Dem shook her head. "Not since last night, Jenny…..try asking Munku. If he doesn't know where she is, he'll certainly put out a search crew for her."  
  
Nodding absently, Jenny went off in search of the gray tabby. She found him having a pleasant chat with Jelly and Asparagus. "Munkustrap! Jemima's missing and you have to help find her!" Jenny called in a decidedly shrill voice. Munk shook his head but didn't hesitate; he knew a worried mother wasn't a queen to argue with.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Meanwhile, Jemima was safe, but extremely frightened. The night before, a brown paw had been clamped over her mouth and she had been stuffed into a sack, then dragged to her present locale. Now she stood facing a young, handsome brown tom, trembling slightly. "I won't hurt you…" she heard him say.  
  
"What do you want from me?" she whispered, although she wasn't really all that sure she wanted an answer. He simply smiled and held out a paw to her, beckoning. She backed away, until she felt her back pressed against the cold, earthen wall. The tom advanced, grinning slightly. "I won't hurt you…" he repeated. Just before he reached her, she screamed loudly and dodged right. All she could do was buy time, as the door was locked and she saw no means of escape. She could run, but there was nowhere to hide.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The day wore on, and the cats in the Junkyard became increasingly concerned about Jemima's disappearance. "She's just not the type to run off without telling anyone, and for no good reason…" Cassandra commented to Alonzo.   
  
The black and white tom nodded. "Aunt Jenny's worried sick….I'm s'posed to be on the next search party if the one that's out now doesn't bring her back. Was anyone sent to inform Skimble?"  
  
"Yes." said a quiet voice from the shadows. Both cats looked startled for a minute, then relaxed. "Oh, Exotica. Didn't see you there." Cassandra said, smiling.  
  
The sleek brown queen sighed and shook her head. "Hardly anyone ever does. Anyway, I think someone sent Mungo and Teazer to go fetch him….those two may be rascals, but they're the quickest way to relate news to anyone. If it wasn't for those darned accents…."  
  
Alonzo shrugged slightly. "Why didn't they just send Mistoffelees? Couldn't he just, y'know, zap there or something?"  
  
Victoria stepped into view, just hearing the last part of the conversation. "They needed him to help try and locate Jemi. He, Cori, and Tanty are taking shifts so none of their energy will get drained, or something like that. I don't know, I heard Mother talking to Dem about it earlier. Didn't they send Mungo and Teazer to the train station?"   
  
"Yeah, Exotica just told…." Cassandra trailed off, for the brown queen had disappeared again. "That girl….she's always saying how no one notices her. How can we if she just….melts away like that!?!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer sat on the roof of the train station. Heaviside knows just HOW they got up there, but that's where they were when Skimble stepped off the train. He wasn't due to be back home that night, for there was another train he had to be on in less than an hour. The two orange-and-black tabbies jumped down from the roof, landing in smack in front of their shocked father. The railway cat jumped back a few inches, then looked at them sternly. "An' just what are you two doin' here? Ah've got a job te do, y'know."  
  
"Da', Jemima's missin'. No one's seen 'er since last noight." Teazer said, frowning worriedly.  
  
Skimble's face grew gray at this news. Jemima was his baby girl, and he simply couldn't bear the thought that something might happen to her. "All right, back to the Junkyard." he said simply, then took off at a run.  
  
Shrugging, the two took off after him, talking as they ran. "Oi sure 'ope they foind Jemima." Teazer exclaimed. "Oi mean, just 'ain't right, our lil' sis disappearing loik that!"  
  
"Oi 'ope they foind 'er alive." Mungo said quietly. Both cats ran in silence after that.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The brown tom was getting impatient. He slapped the still screaming and dodging Jemima as soon as he was within paw's length of her, catching her square in the jaw. She fell back, but didn't cry out; she simply gave him a steely, defiant glare. Suddenly, she jumped up and kicked him as hard as she could in the stomach, causing him to double over. Dashing to the door, she slammed her fist through the small window near the top, ignoring the pain of the sharp glass as she reached through the hole and opened the door. Then she ran for her life.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It had grown late, and Jennyanydots was close to being in hysterics. She was desperately trying to stay calm so as not to further alarm the younger kittens, but her stability was hanging by a thread. By now, everyone was starting to become a great deal worried, and most of the Jellicles were out searching somewhere. The ones that weren't on search crews were getting rested up for their shift. Jellylorum was still mostly awake, trying her best to comfort her friend and watching as the last kittens fell asleep. Jenny sighed and put her head in her paws. There was no rest for the Gumbie; how could she sleep when her youngest kit had gone missing?  
  
The group that had just gone out searching trudged in, tired and worn. Jellylorum quickly caught Munkustrap's eye, her face questioning. The gray tabby shook his head slightly. No luck.  
  
Tugger, who had come in with the rest of the group, looked on the worried mother pityingly. He sat down beside her on the back bumper of the old Ford, putting a comforting arm around her shoulder. As rebellious and unlawful as he was, the tom had a big heart. He gave Jenny and Jelly a hard time, all right, but he loved them both as much as his own mother.  
  
The Jellicles that had been searching the longest dragged themselves over to the new recruits, with the exception of Skimbleshanks. He'd been out searching since Mungo and Teazer first brought him back from the station, and showed absolutely no signs of stopping. Jenny looked up at him from where her head rested on Tugger's shoulder and sighed again. She wasn't even going to attempt to talk him into resting, it'd be of no use. Once the searchers had traded off, they were gone again, and the remaining ones were immediately asleep.  
  
Not everyone was asleep, however. Mistoffelees sat with his eyes half-closed, trying to concentrate on finding Jemima. An image of the young queen came into his head, cut, bleeding, and very tired, in an alley somewhere in another part of town. Then the image was gone in a flash. Misto racked his brain, desperately trying to recall the alley pictured. Wordlessly, he slipped out of the Junkyard.  
  
Hours passed. The only sounds were the clicking of Jelly's knitting needles and the occasional passing car. After a while, the clicking stopped, for Jelly had nodded off to sleep. Jenny sat staring straight-ahead, waiting. Just waiting.  
  
Then the search group had returned, and her eyes looked up hopefully. But the answer on the faces before her crushed her spirits, and snapped the thread her sanity had been hanging by. She burst into a fit of hysterical sobbing, backing away from the comforting paws that reached out to her. Eyes darting wildly, she fled from the Junkyard.  
  
Skimble sighed wearily and rubbed his temples. He shook his head at the others, letting them know he didn't want anyone to follow, and went out after his mate without a word.  
  
Jenny slowed down to a halt not far from the Junkyard. Before long, she heard footsteps behind her. "Where is she, Skimble?" she whispered, without bothering to turn around.   
  
He stepped up and put his arms tightly about her from behind, rocking ever so slightly. "I dinnae know, darlin'. But we'll find her. We'll find her."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jemima had fallen asleep from exhaustion after escaping from the brown tom. She sat up weakly and looked around, clueless as to her whereabouts. Several cuts covered her paws and arms, and there was one on her head received from the glass as it fell. She leaned her head back against the brick wall and closed her eyes with a sigh.  
  
  
Not far away, Mistoffelees roamed around the city, still trying to recall where it was he had envisioned Jemima. Gradually, his surroundings began to become more and more familiar, and it hit him. This was it! He took off at a run down the alleyway, skidding to a halt when he saw the little queen sitting there against a wall. "Jemi!"  
  
Opening her eyes at the familiar voice, Jemima reached her arms up to him. "Misto!" she cried joyously. He started to help her to her feet, but the queen had lost a lot of blood and was too weak to walk by herself.  
  
Now Misto wasn't a very large cat. He was an adult, but he'd always been smaller than the other Jellicles his age, and probably always would be. Jemima was smaller than he was, but he wasn't all that sure he could carry her all the way back to the Yard alone. "Well, there's nothing to do but try…." he thought to himself, placing her arms around his neck and lifting her up. He staggered a bit while straightening up, but walking was no problem. "You're even lighter than you look, missy." he said with a small smile, then set off towards the Junkyard.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Skimbleshanks had calmed Jenny down and brought her back to the Yard. Everyone was taking a short break before starting the search up again; they were all quite tired, and dawn would arrive before long, making it easier to look.  
  
Demeter, Bombalurina, Munkustrap and Tugger all sat together on the tire, talking in worried tones. "Dear little Jemima…..she's always been just like a baby sister to me…." Dem said softly, shaking her head.  
  
Bomb stretched and nodded slightly. "I know how you feel…..I remember when you got lost once. You were probably too young to remember it at the time, and you weren't gone for more than about an hour, but I was worried sick! And it was Tugger who comforted me and cheered me up." she said, playfully nudging the maned tom.   
  
Grinning slyly, Tugger examined his claws nonchalantly. "That's me, Mr. Sensitivity." That commented received a snort from Bomb, which Tugger ignored.  
  
Only Munk sat in silence, unable to laugh at all. It wasn't that he was more worried about Jemima than the rest of them, it was just that he felt responsible for everything that happened in the tribe. He wasn't the leader yet, but he would be someday. Suddenly, something hit him. "Um….did anyone tell Deuteronomy?"  
  
Everyone looked at each other, shaking their heads. "Oops." Munk muttered. He'd neglected to tell anyone to inform the Jellicle leader about Jemima's disappearance. Oh well, Jemima would hopefully be found by tomorrow and they could tell him then. Hopefully.  
  
"Lookie!" Teazer cried, pointing frantically to the Junkyard entrance. There was Misto, with a battered Jemima in his arms. Jenny and Skimble both bolted to their daughter. Skimble took Jemima from Misto with ease, Jenny carefully wiping the blood from her forehead and weeping. "My baby….oh my poor little baby…." she cried, mostly out of relief that her daughter was alive, as Skimble carried the wounded kit over to the car trunk where she could be patched up.   
  
Suddenly, the Gumbie whirled around and ran back to Misto. She hugged the black and white tom tightly and whispered, "Oh, Mistoffelees….I can't ever thank you enough." Misto smiled and returned the hug. "It was nothing, I'd do the same thing all over again." Jenny pulled away and gave him a quick, motherly kiss on the cheek before returning to her daughter's side.  
  
Jelly was already there, carefully removing shards of glass from Jemima's paws. Jenny fretted and stroked the barely conscious kitten's head reassuringly. "Thank Heaviside she'll be all right.." Asparagus, one of Skimble's best friends and brother-in-law, murmured.   
  
"If I ever find out who did this……" Skimble said menacingly, shaking his fist. Asparagus nodded as he watched his mate bandaging up their niece's paws. "Whoever it was will regret it, if we ever find him."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Lucifer, Lucifer, Lucifer….you never were very smart around cars." A gray and brown tabby cat muttered from the sidewalk, looking at a lump of brown fur squashed in the middle of the road. The tom shook his head and walked away.  
  
  
  



End file.
